Waste Bin Sensor Fusion for Accurate Fill and Contamination Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current waste management systems lack accurate bin fill level detection due to sensor inaccuracies, poor cellular connections, environmental harshness resistance, and contamination issues, leading to inefficient routing and increased greenhouse gas emissions.
Innovation Solution
A waste management system utilizing a plurality of sensors, including ultrasonic, camera, and radar sensors, with cloud-based analytics for bin fill level detection, contamination identification, and optimized routing, ensuring accurate and efficient waste collection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single sensor is used to detect bin fill level, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision deteriorates due to sensor inaccuracies and occlusion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple sensors (ultrasonic, optical, weight sensors) into a single waste management device that collectively monitors bin fill levels. This merging approach maintains reduced device complexity while improving measurement precision through sensor fusion and cross-validation of readings.
Solution Approach 2:
The waste management device incorporates multiple sensor types that serve different detection functions - ultrasonic sensors for distance measurement, optical sensors for visual detection, and weight sensors for mass measurement. This multi-functionality allows the system to accurately detect bin fill levels under various conditions without requiring separate dedicated devices.
2Measurement precision
If optical sensors are used to detect bin fill level, then measurement precision is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to cover glass occlusion from water and wet waste
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different sensor types at different locations within the waste management device - ultrasonic sensors positioned to detect fill level without direct exposure to wet waste, optical sensors with protective positioning, and weight sensors that measure overall bin mass. This local quality approach ensures that each sensor operates in its optimal environment, maintaining both precision and reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses multiple sensor types as intermediaries to indirectly detect bin fill levels when direct optical detection is compromised. For example, ultrasonic sensors measure distance to waste surface, and weight sensors measure total mass, providing alternative measurement paths that bypass the occlusion problem affecting optical sensors.
3Ease of operation
If fixed pickup schedules are used, then ease of operation is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to bins being picked up when empty or marginally filled
Solution Approach 1:
The waste management device continuously monitors bin fill levels using multiple sensors and provides real-time feedback to the routing system. This feedback enables dynamic adjustment of pickup schedules and routes, allowing collection vehicles to visit only bins that are actually full, thereby improving productivity while maintaining operational simplicity through automated decision-making.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from static fixed schedules to dynamic adaptive routing based on real-time sensor data. Routes and pickup times are continuously optimized according to actual bin fill levels, waste generation patterns, and vehicle availability, maximizing collection efficiency while keeping operational complexity manageable through automated systems.
4Measurement precision
If manual visual inspection is used to detect contamination, then measurement precision is improved for contamination identification, but loss of time increases due to time-intensive inspection process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual visual inspection with automated optical sensors and image processing systems that continuously monitor waste bin contents. These electronic detection systems provide contamination identification with high precision while eliminating the time loss associated with manual inspection, as sensors can analyze multiple bins simultaneously and continuously without human intervention.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides accurate bin fill level detection, reduces waste collection inefficiencies, minimizes greenhouse gas emissions, and enhances recycling efficiency by optimizing routes and detecting contamination, thereby improving operational costs and sustainability.
Implementation Method 1
a first sensor of the plurality of sensors is an ultrasonic sensor... a second sensor of the plurality of sensors is a camera sensor... a third sensor of the plurality of sensors is a radar sensor
Implementation Method 2
a third sensor of the plurality of sensors is a radar sensor
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a waste management system and method including a plurality of waste management devices. Each waste management device further includes a plurality of sensors configured to sense contents of a waste bin. The device is configured to transmit sensory information from the plurality of sensors. The sensory information from the plurality of sensors and is related to the contents of the waste bin. A server configured to receive and store sensory information transmitted by the plurality of devices. The server stores a fill level of the waste bin based on the sensory information. A processor operably connected to the server, wherein the processor is configured to determine the fill level of the waste bin based on the sensory information. A user device configured to receive, store, and display the fill level of the waste bin.